


Fault

by dragonshost



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-07
Updated: 2020-06-07
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:07:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 547
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24584308
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dragonshost/pseuds/dragonshost
Summary: Everything was always Jellal's fault, wasn't it?
Relationships: Jellal Fernandes/Gray Fullbuster
Comments: 1
Kudos: 10





	Fault

"She's dead because of you." The accusation was quiet, and Gray's eyes were downcast, but full of fire uncharacteristic to the ice mage. "Meredy told me what happened. About the note."

Jellal heaved a sigh, his eyes sliding closed. It was only a matter of time, he supposed, before Gray found out. For anyone who spent enough time around Jellal, Meredy was certain to spill some sort of long held secret about him or his feelings to that person. It was as unavoidable and inevitable as the sun setting at the end of the day.

"Answer me," Gray growled, advancing a step towards the other man.

Opening his eyes, Jellal stared back at Gray mildly. "You haven't asked a question," he pointed out.

"Don't," hissed the other man. "Don't pretend you don't know what this is about. Ultear. She's dead because of you." When Jellal remained silent, Gray accused, "Aren't you even going to respond?"

Jellal shrugged slightly. "I'm not sure what you expect me to say here, Gray."

"Deny it." Gray's voice trembled, as did his hand as it opened and clenched shut several times in anger with nowhere to go, no enemy to punch - only his boyfriend standing before him. "Say that it's a mistake. Say you didn't leave her behind when you couldn't find her. Defend yourself. Something. Anything."

The blue-haired man blinked slowly, almost languidly. "There's nothing to deny or defend. Ultear is dead. Has been for some time."

Gray swallowed thickly, raising his arm and bringing it down on Jellal's chest in the most half-hearted hit that Jellal had ever endured. "How could you?" he said, his voice starting to crack. Gray's fist lifted and collided with Jellal's chest again. "Why didn't you say anything until now?" A sob clogged his throat, and angry tears began to trail down his cheeks as he hit him again. "Didn't I..." Gray hiccupped, water trailing in earnest from his eyes. "Didn't I... deserve to _know?_ "

Jellal shifted in place uncomfortably, and then awkwardly raised his arms to draw Gray further into his chest. Gray protested by smacking Jellal twice more. Then his palm flattened against Jellal's skin, and his other hand bunched up Jellal's shirt as he clung to it.

It wasn't like Jellal didn't want to answer, really it wasn't. Especially not with how distraught the news seemed to make Gray. The truth was that... he'd never really thought of her as dead before that moment. Oh sure, it had occurred to him as a possibility. But he'd brushed it aside, not wanting to dwell on the thought. Or on his own inaction. Meredy never brought it up, so it was easy to push aside.

And if he hadn't even been able to admit it to himself until just now, how could he have ever confessed it to Gray? Confess to the man that held his heart that he hadn't gone looking for his elder sister? That she had died, all alone? Without her daughter or friend by her side?

His fault. It was always his fault, wasn't it? It was just a fact of life.

As Gray continued to sob into his chest, Jellal stroked his back. There wasn't much else he could offer right now.

Not when he felt like crying too.


End file.
